Does diet affect acne, really?

Here's a question to ponder: Why is acne common in the Western, industrialized world,

Linda Shrieves

Here's a question to ponder: Why is acne common in the Western, industrialized world,

while the pimples that plague American kids are rare in developing countries?

It's a puzzler — and one that prompted Australian researchers to ask whether changing the diet of teenagers would have any effect on acne.

The results could change the way dermatologists think about diet.

To test their theory, the Australian researchers recruited 50 young men between the ages of 15 and 25 with mild-to-moderate acne. They split the volunteers into two groups: One group was instructed to eat a diet of lean meat, poultry and fish, along with fruits and vegetables. They replaced foods such as white bread and highly processed breakfast cereals with whole grains. Meanwhile, the other group ate a typical Western diet.

After 12 weeks, researchers found that the group eating more protein and whole grains experienced dramatic results, according to the researchers.

"The acne of the boys on the higher-protein, low-glycemic index diet improved dramatically, by more than 50 percent, which is more than what you see with topical acne solutions," wrote senior author Neil Mann, an associate professor at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

The typical teenager's diet — rich with things like doughnuts and cheeseburgers — appears to raise hormone levels, and surging hormones have long been linked to acne.

"A diet high in processed foods pushes glucose and insulin levels higher, exacerbating the problem, but low-glycemic foods do the opposite," Mann said. "The mechanism and the results are clear as day."

Although the study was small — and even the study's authors agree that more research is needed — Altamonte Springs, Fla., dermatologist Jerri Johnson thinks the study's authors may be on to something — even though the Web site for the American Academy of Dermatology explicitly says there's no link between diet and acne.

"It's worth telling patients about because it shows that diet is important," says Johnson. "We do know that acne is a more severe disease in Westerners ... so there's got to be some connection there."

Indeed, says Dr. Barbara Reed, a Denver dermatologist and spokeswoman for the AAD, "I happen to agree that our diet is so full of fats and refined sugar that it can't be so good for us, probably in more ways than just causing acne. Every diet for health is the same: more fresh fruits and vegetables, less fat, red meat, sugar."

But the more critical question may be this: Will an American teenager give up junk food in hopes of getting rid of acne?

It's possible, says Johnson. "It all depends on the kid. The same kid who will use his medication every day would probably be willing to stick to the diet," she says.